According to the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, it takes “walkability,” a good civic anchor and nice, wide sidewalks.

Haddonfield and Collingswood were recently ranked among the top 10 Best Suburban Downtowns in the Greater Philadelphia area, based on a study by the DVRPC.

The study, “Revitalizing Suburban Downtown Retail Districts,” identified 71 business districts located in the Greater Philadelphia area and outlined the common retail characteristics that make up a successful downtown retail district.

Karen P. Cilurso, senior regional planner of the Office of Smart Growth for the DVRPC, said both Haddonfield and Collingswood scored high in the study.

“They both have a good anchor with their borough hall in their downtown and both have PATCO,” she said. “The key for both downtowns is that they have good civic anchors and qualify for the seven characteristics of a successful downtown.”

Both downtowns exhibited all seven of the relevant elements that were ranked as “high” or most important, as well as the medium relevant elements.

According to the DVRPC, the downtown districts in Haddonfield and Collingswood adhere to these seven elements which contribute to success:

* Having a merchants association.

* Having wide sidewalks.

* A Walk Score® of more than 80 (Walk Score measures the walkability of the district on a scale of 0-100).

* Ample parking options (Street parking, lots).

* A vacancy rate of less than 20%.

* Having a civic or cultural anchor.

* Average Daily Traffic Counts of 10,000 to 16,000 vehicles per day.

Cilurso said the “Walk Score” is a copyrighted, online application that calculates the walkability from information such as the distance between housing and the retail district.

“I just put the information in and it spits out a score,” she said.

Haddonfield Mayor Jeff Kasko said the town strives to provide the best experience possible for its residents and visitors by using every tool and tactic available.

“We are excited to be acknowledged for our efforts and being named as a model DVRPC downtown,” he said.